Originally Posted by jibber

good god you weren't kidding when you said you weren't the most intelligent poster on here. Lets have a start with your personal vendetta about businesses requiring their employees to have cell phones.

Let me break this down for you. Businesses today operate on a much wider and larger scale than they did before. A good system of communication is vital for any business, be it a massive multi-national corporation or some guy selling his grandmother's **** from her basement over ebay.

Your company did not force a cell phone on you because they want you to look cool in front of clients or because the evil TV people told them it was necessary. They gave you a phone because the world market has deemed it necessary. They need you to be connected in order to do your job for them. YOU are working for THEM, and thus you need to play along with the rest of the rules that the entire world of business operates on. I recently spoke with an independent farmer in rural Cameroon who did all of his business himself. The guy lived in a clapboard hut with no running water or electricity, and guess what, HE HAD A CELL PHONE. not because the evil TV advertisements had somehow gotten to him, but because even in the middle of rural africa, the market dictates certain necessities a business must have to function, and communication is one of them. And no, a pay phone or your home phone is not adequate. Unless you spend 24 hours a day at home.

This atmosphere was not created by TV, it was created by expanding businesses and world markets who pushed the boundaries further, and now the standard is such that without certain technologies, a business will fail.

Now addressing your little tirade about how anyone who lives with any kind of commodity not necessary to their survival is brainwashed by the mass media. I will be the first to admit I have my toys. I've spent thousands of dollars on camera equipment because it makes my job as a photojournalist a hell of a lot easier. I can get better results, get more jobs, and do a better job in using this equipment than in using my old 35mm minolta film camera from 1975, because its completely obsolete.

I spend a lot of money on ski equipment because it allows me to enjoy my time skiing more, and has a function. I do not own it because the mass media told me to buy one item over the other. I bought it all because they function the best for my needs.

I think you're entirely wrong in saying that having any material possession makes you a slave to the media. Had you said that spending $15000 on a purse because of the image it creates for you is an indication that a person is too susceptible marketing, then maybe I would agree with you. As it is, you come off like a frustrated yuppy who has way too much time on their hands.